Productivity / Performance

Avoid ‘summer slack-off’ syndrome: 6 ways to keep your company focused

07/13/2010

If you are used to accepting a lax summer work ethic from your employees (and maybe even taking on one of your own), it’s time to stop. Use this summer season to push employees to ruthlessly focus on improving the business.

Document any slippage in employee performance to insulate against later discrimination claims

06/29/2010

If you can show that the employee wasn’t living up to your legitimate expectations, her discrimination case will most likely be dismissed. Legitimate expectations—or adequate performance—aren’t measured just by performance evaluations. That’s especially true if the last performance evaluation occurred months earlier and performance has since changed.

Firing? Pick a reason and stick with it

06/28/2010

Presumably, when you terminate an employee, you have good reasons for doing so. If you pile on more reasons later, it may look as if you are trying to cover up a discriminatory decision with a host of excuses for why you fired the employee.

Energize employees by asking them what they like to do

06/28/2010

People are just not satisfied with their jobs today. The Conference Board found in January that only 45% of Americans are satisfied with their jobs. Just 51% find their work interesting. One of the study’s authors concluded that workers “have to figure out what they should be doing to be the most engaged in their jobs and the most productive.” I say managers need to help them.

Can’t you even say the word ‘pregnant’ anymore?

06/21/2010

Aw c’mon. An employee is obviously pregnant but you can’t even say the “p” word? Does the mere use of the adjective translate into legal liability? One court recently said “relax.” It’s OK to say a woman is pregnant; just don’t make any employment decisions based on it or comment negatively. Still, it’s a bit tricky, as this case shows …

Before you decide to fire, make sure past job evaluations support your rationale

06/18/2010

Here’s a tip that will make courts more likely to uphold your termination decisions. Make sure whatever reason you use to justify the firing also showed up in past performance evaluations. Nothing raises suspicions more than kudos followed by discharge.

Security firm embraces, accommodates older workers

06/18/2010

The biggest challenge for retired police officer Jim Stephens is instilling a good work ethic in the young security guards who work for his security company in tiny Smock, Pa. So he pairs the newcomers with older employees—and some of them are as old as 75. In fact, 14 of the 24 people who work for Sonrise Security Patrol Inc. are older than 55, a demographic Stephens credits for his company’s success.

Fresh start good for everyone

06/01/2010

Have you faced a situation where you weren’t sure whether an employee had been unfairly treated by a supervisor? When doubts arise, it’s sometimes best to offer the employee a fresh start. But if the old problems resurface and you end up terminating the employee, chances are a court will view the employee as the problem.

How to write effective and legal job descriptions

05/25/2010

Job descriptions are the cornerstone of communication between managers and their employees. After all, it’s hard for supervisors to measure job effectiveness during performance reviews unless they and the employee both know what’s expected. Here’s how to do job descriptions right.

Adding up what works–and doesn’t–in a recession

05/24/2010

It seems the recession has taught the nation’s bean counters a few things about what works when it comes to employee retention and satisfaction. In a new survey by Robert Half Management Resources, chief financial officers admit their biggest take-away from the recession is that they need to take better care of their workers.